WWE Brewing Thoughts: Macho Man, R-Truth and CM Punk's Future

After a three-month hiatus, Brewing Thoughts returns to a WWE landscape much different than it was this winter.

This edition starts with the biggest news story in pro wrestling right now.

In case the news has evaded you, 58-year-old Randy Poffo, better known to the wrestling world as "Macho Man" Randy Savage, died in a single-car accident in Seminole, Fla. last Friday. It was arguably the biggest loss the wrestling community has been dealt in years. 

Macho Madness Returns to WWE Too Late

For years, the WWE Hall of Fame has been painfully absent of one of the biggest pro wrestling pioneers ever. Unfortunately, it took the death of "Macho Man" Randy Savage for Vince McMahon to swallow his pride and acknowledge his massive contribution to what was then called the World Wrestling Federation.

The video package that aired on this Monday's edition of Raw was the start of a tribute that should end in Miami next year, when Savage is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The 2011 class was likely to be headlined by Miami native The Rock, but The Great One's headline may become a twin bill.

Savage was a pioneer in the 1980s and 1990s. He feuded with the likes of Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair, and Jake Roberts. He participated in what is widely regarded as the greatest match in WrestleMania history, and possibly in modern history, against Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III. He won the 14-man WWF Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV, and was one-half of what could be considered the feud of  the 80s when he turned on Hulk Hogan, splitting apart the Mega Powers.

It was a rumored falling out between Savage and Vince McMahon that has kept the Macho Man out of the Hall of Fame all these years (Roddy Piper claims Savage slapped McMahon), but it unfortunately took Savage's death to patch the divide. 

The Truth is Painful...to Watch

Chris Jericho said, via Twitter, than R-Truth would be the next big thing in WWE. I, for one, hope he is as wrong as ever.

Truth is painful to watch on the mic. His promos more closely resemble jumbled rantings. He babbles incoherently about "the truth" and only garners heat when he bashes the fans.

His work was never brilliant during his run atop TNA, but it was enough to get by. Creative has force-fed us R-Truth, first in a feud with John Morrison, and now in a run with Rey Mysterio. As a heel it appears he may continue to rise up the WWE ladder.

When stars that can't work the mic continue to fail, they usually find their way out of the main event. Sooner or later the truth will set Ron Killings free...from his run in the spotlight.

Who Holds the Key to the Future of WWE Main Events?

Outside of a half dozen or so superstars, there aren't any established names at the main event level of WWE programming.

Since Edge made his retirement official, recent editions of Raw and SmackDown have highlighted the chasm between the main event and the next tier of wrestlers.

Maybe John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes will become main-eventers one day. Maybe they will win a world title and it won't feel forced.

For that to happen, creative will have to legitimize the mid card once again. The future stars need to follow the career track Alberto Del Rio is on, not the route Jack Swagger took.

CM Punk Finds His Way to the Top

The Internet Wrestling Community has been abuzz lately regarding the future of CM Punk.

Punk's WWE contract expires this summer, and there have been questions about whether or not he'll re-sign with the company.

Wrestlezone.com reported earlier this week that Punk is set to step into a feud with WWE Champion John Cena in the following weeks. Cena reportedly went to bat for Punk, who will get at least one more chance at a world title reign before he potentially leaves the company.

But Punk is in a very advantageous position. Punk likely knows the position he is in. He could essentially demand a world title run to keep him with the company.

Punk has been wildly underutilized over the past couple years, and the IWC surely isn't the only one to notice. This may finally be the break Punk needs to return to the top of the WWE ladder. A world title reign may prove to Vince McMahon just how valuable Punk is to the company.